Just a Bit Unlikely
by PotterWhoLock54
Summary: AU where the Master escaped in "Last of the Timelords". He is back and wreaking havoc on Earth again as the Doctor takes along a young, nerdy kid named Marvin to help stop the impending war and save humanity.
1. Chapter 1: A Strange Occurrence

** All rights go to the BBC and it's creators, I just wrote the plot of this story! I hope you enjoy this, my second Fan fiction! More to come soon, so please stay tuned and in the mean time, please review! It's great get get feedback on how I'm writing! Without further ado, enjoy the story!**

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 1

Marvin Cartwright had large, thick-rimmed spectacles and very short, dark hair that seemed like it belonged on a tough military man instead of a scrawny teenager like himself. He was the epitome of a dorky high schooler. He always had high grades and was a very talented clarinet player, but he didn't think his accomplishments were that great. In fact, sometimes he'd rather have received some bad marks and be a better footballer with tons of friends than his reality as a smart, nerdy kid who hung out with his mum more than kids his own age.

Today, Marvin was sitting in his English class, writing his essay feverishly as the clock ticked on. He had one hour to write about the Renaissance Era, one of his personal favorite periods of history. Sadly, most of his class didn't agree with him. For some reason, they found Shakespeare boring and difficult and they fell asleep during their readings. He was intrigued by the beautiful language of olde. He wished he had the skill to write like Mr. Shakespeare. His mind raced back to his essay. 'Just one more paragraph,' he thought to himself, his leg bouncing up and down with excitement.

As he concluded his essay and lay his pencil down, he smiled to himself. This paper had been his best so far this year. He had worked so hard in studying facts and getting to know this time period, and all of that work was paying off as he looked around the room at his struggling classmates. He looked out the window to his right and saw a tall man in a long overcoat jogging-no, sprinting-across the car park. Marvin adjusted himself so he could see better. The man was definitely in a hurry, either running to something important, or running away from something dangerous. Suddenly Marvin saw why the man was running so fat. Five metal men-were they men?- were approaching the car park, threateningly holding up their arms that must've had some sort of gun or laser on them. Marvin absentmindedly stood next to his seat, still staring outside at the strange scene. Nothing like this had ever happened here before. He lived two hours away from London, too far from any real cities for cool things to happen. His teacher, Mr. O'Doyle, looked at him quizzically. "What are you doing out of your seat, Mr. Cartwright?"

Marvin looked around and saw that the whole class was staring at him. He suddenly grew very nervous and came up with a quick excuse off the top of his head. "I'm sorry sir, but may I go to the toilet?"

Mr. O'Doyle replied with a quick, "Of course you can," before Marvin sped off towards the boys' lavatory. He stood in front of the window, but the car park was on the opposite side of the building anyway. 'Why did I just lie?' Marvin couldn't understand his own odd reaction. 'I was probably just imagining things. That's been known to happen.' He thought an thought about that strange man, running from those machines. 'It's not real...it can't be real.'

But Marvin was too curious to let it go. Deep down, he knew he hadn't imagined it. He knew those machines were probably alien, or at least really cool technology. He turned away from the window. 'I have to get back to class.' Marvin left the lavatory and stopped dead in his tracks. A two meter tall metal man was standing right down the hall, blocking Marvin's way to English class. The metal man turned and stared into Marvin's terrified, bespectacled face and began marching towards him, slowly lifting it's arm as it neared it's target.


	2. Chapter 2: The Cybers' Plan

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 2: The Cybers' Plan

Marvin backed up slowly, but he knew the metal man could probably shoot him at any given second. Suddenly there came a great clatter and the Cyberman was on the ground being held by the man in the overcoat. Marvin shook his head to make sure he was seeing things correctly. Nothing seemed to be making sense today. The man in the overcoat looked up at Marvin and smiled through his struggle with the Cyberman. "Hello! I'm the Doctor. What's your name?"

Marvin stammered out, "I'm ugh..Marvin."

Finally the Doctor disabled the Cyberman with some sort of blue light thingy. He stood panting and threw off his overcoat, tossing it aside as he cheerily greeted, "Hello Marvin. I saw you from down the hall; thought you might've needed some help."

The Doctor put his screwdriver back into his pocket and held out his hand for Marvin to shake, which he did after a moment of staring at this strange savior of his. "What was that thing anyway?"

The Doctor retracted his hand and explained, "That, my friend, was a Cyberman. Strictly speaking, they shouldn't be here right now, but I'll get it sorted out soon enough." The Doctor took out his Sonic again and held it close to his ear as if hearing it. "There's a strong signal coming in this area. I think more are coming."

Marvin pointed at this odd man's small torch and asked, "What is that?"

The Doctor replied excitedly, "This is my Sonic Screwdriver. It opens doors, hacks into computer systems, and apparently disables Cybermen temporarily."

Marvin held onto that last word. "Temporarily?"

"Oh yeah, that guy's just asleep." The Doctor turned around quickly and held out his Sonic towards the opposite side of the hallway. He quickly whispered to Marvin, "You better get out of here. I think there are at least three coming very fast."

Marvin stood rooted to the spot. "My English class is right there. Even if I go back in there it won't be safe."

The Doctor turned to face Marvin, beginning to be annoyed. "Marvin, I can stop them out here. They won't touch your English class. Just go-quickly!"

Marvin took a few steps towards his class, but then turned and looked at the Doctor. He seemed like a very nice guy. He also looked nothing like any heroes all of his classmates seemed to idol. All of those action heroes had been super muscular and could lift cars or carried guns to protect themselves from enemies. The Doctor seemed so different, and yet still so brave and heroic. He was just a skinny guy carrying a-what did he call it? A screwdriver. That's what handymen carry. Not guys fighting evil beasts. The Doctor turned around again and was shocked that Marvin was still standing there. "Marvin! Get back to class, please. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Marvin stood his ground. "I don't want anything to happen to you, either."

The Doctor turned around fully. "I'm not compatible with their armor. They'll convert you instantly, though. Please, just go. I can handle this."

Marvin wasn't even thinking about leaving. "What do you mean you're not compatible?"

The Doctor quickly shot back, "I'm not a human! Now get back to class, Marvin."

The Doctor turned back to his Sonic and peeked around the corner. Marvin had backed up a few paces after the Doctor's last statement. 'What does he mean he's not human?'

Marvin turned to walk back to his English class, but then he heard that awful metal marching sound again. He spun around and, sure enough, there were three Cybermen towering over the Doctor. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

The Doctor didn't take his eyes off of the Cybermen, but he stammered, "Ugh, umm...oh, fine; you can help! But then you're getting back to class."

The Doctor backed towards Marvin as the Cybers approached menacingly. They seemed to be moving towards Marvin as they shouted, "Delete!" in an eerie computer voice that sent shivers up Marvin's spine.

The Doctor held his arms out, protecting Marvin, as he shouted at the Cybers, who were now raising their hands. "Oi, what are you doing on Earth again? I just stopped you last week!"

The Cyber in front replied, "We need more soldiers."

The Doctor casually lowered his hands and took control of the floor, putting his hands behind his back as he stated, "You needed soldiers for the war with the Daleks, so you came to Earth? When will you find a new way to breed? Something that doesn't rely on lower species' slaughter "

Marvin called out from behind, "Oi! Lower species?"

The Doctor turned and apologized. "Sorry, Marv, I love humans, but some can be so thick!"

Marvin nodded in agreement and replied, "I know what you mean."

The two shared a small smile that was soon ended by the Cyber chiming in loudly, "You must let us win the war."

The Doctor's face suddenly turned solemn. "I don't fight wars anymore. I'm not going to let you use Earth as a breeding ground, either."

The Doctor thought that maybe, just maybe, the Cybers would leave. But he was sadly mistaken. The Cyber in front shouted angrily, "Then we will take over by force!"

Before the Doctor could reach his sonic, the Cyber had clapped his metal arm hard onto the Doctor's shoulder and sent electricity through the Doctor's body. He collapsed as soon as the Cyber let go, leaving Marvin standing terrified against three Cybermen. The Cyber leader stated eerily, "You will be upgraded."


	3. Chapter 3: Who Saved Who?

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 3: Who Saved Who?

Marvin looked down at the Doctor for help, but he was out cold. The Cybermen continued towards Marvin, slowly but fiercely, until Marvin was against the wall. He glanced around him, looking for anything that could help him, and saw a water fountain on the wall to his right. He cautiously maneuvered towards it and pressed down the switch, sending water shooting up a few centimeters above the tap. He held one hand on the switch as he cupped a handful of water in his other hand. Quickly, he splashed the water onto the closest Cyberman and watched as it shook violently and then dropped to the ground. The other two didn't seem to learn from their partner's mistake as they also approached Marvin and were dealt the same fate. As soon as he was sure they were down for good, Marvin left the fountain and ran over to the Doctor. He knelt next to him and began desperately shaking his shoulder to wake him. "Doctor! Are you ok? Please don't be dead. Doctor?!"

After a moment or two, the Doctor moved his head groggily and groaned from the pain the Cybers must have caused him. "How long have I been out for?"

Marvin tried to get the Doctor to take it easy, but the stubborn physician was already sitting up. "About five minutes or so. I took care of the Cybers for you."

The Doctor looked from Marvin to the three Cybermen, then back to Marvin. "You did that yourself? How?"

Marvin smiled at his achievement and pointed to the water fountain. "They're not the brightest blokes. I splashed some water on 'em and they were finished."

The Doctor stood slowly and began scanning the Cybermen for any signs of life left in them. "That's impressive, mate. Honestly. You're brilliant, you are."

Marvin grinned more in that moment than he had for the past year. He replied sadly, "Nobody's called me 'mate' for a while."

The Doctor looked at this brilliant young boy kindly. His big brown eyes showed how sorry he felt for this kid who seemed so amazing it was a wonder why not everyone loved him. "I think anybody would be lucky to be your mate."

Marvin looked away quickly, his face turning slightly pink and tears forming secretly in his eyes. He couldn't let his hero see him like this. But the Doctor noticed. The Doctor always noticed when children were crying. The Doctor came over and wrapped his arms around Marvin, and Marvin returned the gesture gladly. The Doctor whispered kindly, "Thanks for saving me back there."

Marvin answered quickly, "You saved me first."

They came out of their hug and the Doctor clapped Marvin on the shoulder, turning away with a smile and beginning to walk away. "Oi, where are you going?"

The Doctor spun around quickly at Marvin's loud, echoing voice. "I've got to stop the Cybermen, remember?"

Marvin glanced back at his English class. They'd be wondering where he was right now. He turned quickly back to the Doctor, who was walking away again. Without considering the consequences, Marvin began sprinting towards the Doctor's disappearing outline. "Wait! I'm coming with you!"

The Doctor's face turned solemn as he came to a stop reluctantly. He had lost so many of his friends. This boy was not going to become another one of his regrets. "No. I'm sorry, you're a great kid, but I can't let you come with me."

Marvin looked up at his newfound hero, disappointment showing in his eyes. "Oh...but, why not?"

The Doctor replied, his voice becoming higher pitched, "I can't put you in harm's way. I have to work alone. I can't lose anyone else."

For the first time, Marvin really looked into this Doctor's sad eyes. He seemed so awesome, so special. Why was he so alone? Why was he so sad? Marvin knew loneliness as well. Maybe the Doctor just needed a friend. "Doctor, I don't have anything to lose. My mum works two jobs, my dad died two years ago, I don't have any friends here; please take me with you. Just let me do something with my life. I want to be a part of something. Besides, who was the one who was unconscious back there?"

The Doctor considered this boy's proposal for a while. He really wanted to go. And what if the Doctor didn't take him and Marvin stayed lonely forever? The Doctor knew loneliness. Waking up, sad to leave your dreams and going to bed knowing when you wake, nothing will have changed. Seeing everyone around you so happy but feeling so angry at the world because you didn't have that kind of happiness that only friends can provide. "Alright, but I'm not going to be sorry if anything happens to you!"

The Doctor, of course, was joking. If anything happened to Marvin, the Doctor would truly never forgive himself for it. But seeing the joy on the boy's face was worth the risk of being heartbroken later on.


	4. Chapter 4: Into the TARDIS

**Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update for this chapter. Please review! I'd love to hear about how this story is going!**

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 4: Into the TARDIS

They ran out of the side exit of the school, Marvin feeling a bit guilty for leaving his English class so spontaneously. The Doctor was moving fast, however, so Marvin had to try to keep up. Suddenly the Doctor stopped in front of some random, dirty police call box, taking out a key as he did so. Marvin looked at him, utterly perplexed. "Didn't they use those years ago? There aren't many left. How did you find one that looks so new? Wait-why do you have a key for it?"

"You sure have a lot of questions," the Doctor smiled at Marvin's total ignorance. Meeting this boy was like starting all over again. But no-he couldn't let himself become attached again. That had only ever led to worse pain when it ended. No more.

The Doctor pushed open both doors and led Marvin inside. "Here we go," the Doctor muttered to himself as Marvin stepped into the threshold, jaw dropping.

"It's...it's bigger that all the other police call boxes. How did you-?"

Marvin's voice trailed off as he noticed the Doctor's grinning face watching him. Marvin slowly walked towards the center of the big Console Room, looking around at all of the tree-like decorations and the yellow lit circles on the walls. He had never been anywhere that felt so magical before. The Doctor was casually leaning on the Console with his arms crossed, looking proudly around his old ship. He began explaining, as if it were clockwork by now, "This is called the TARDIS. It only looks like a police box because it tries to blend in with where it is."

Marvin commented cheekily, "It's a bit confused on what year it is."

The Doctor responded, cocking his head to the side, "Well, I landed in the 60's once and it got stuck. I can fix it, but I don't really want it to change."

Marvin's mind had been blown a few times today, but this statement had caught his attention, "The...the sixties? The nineteen sixties?"

The Doctor went on carefully, "Yes I'm, well, I'm a time traveler. I come from a race called the Timelords. I left home and went traveling, and I haven't stopped since. Well, not for too long, anyway."

Marvin thought over these words for a moment. This wonderful man was no man at all. He was an alien. He was a lord of time. He had a time machine. After a moment or two, Marvin said calmly, "Don't we have Cybermen to stop?"

The Doctor smiled at Marvin's acceptance of him. "You're alright, then?"

Marvin nodded his head. He was surprised at himself for how cool he was about all of this. '_Maybe this is all a dream_', he thought to himself. '_I probably fell asleep in English. I didn't get much sleep last night_'.

The Doctor was looking at some little screen on the Console, so Marvin went over to see what he was looking at. "The Cybermen said they're fighting a war, but that can't be right unless the they're fighting has some kind of time machine. Oh..."

The Doctor was staring into space, remembering some crucial point unknown to Marvin. Finally he continued, "The Daleks...they broke a piece of the TARDIS off from the Inner Core. They must've learned how to use it. Marvin, we've got a much bigger fight than Cybermen coming. If the Daleks can build a time machine, they must've had some help from a Timelord."

Marvin assured ignorantly, "Maybe they kidnapped someone! We've got to save them!"

The Doctor looked at Marvin's worried but excited face. He shook his head sadly and replied apprehensively, "No Marvin, I know who's helping them. There are only two Timelords left-me and the Master. He's got to be helping them. I don't know why, but he's going to try and cause some kind of destruction."

Marvin watched the Doctor enter coordinates on the Console. '_Two Timelords? Only two? But...what happened to the rest? There had to be more. What about the Doctor's family? He doesn't seem too old, he must have some family left.'_ Marvin thought things over while the Doctor steered them towards the mayhem of a Great War between Cybermen and Daleks. '_Not great...war is never great_,' the Doctor thought bitterly to himself as he watched explosions and lasers shoot across the screen. He grabbed his Sonic and threw his coat onto one of the tree-like things. "Don't want to get that too messy."

He led Marvin to the door but stopped as his hand reached the door handle. "Are you sure you want to help me? I can't guarantee you'll be safe. There's a whole war out there, and the Master is probably going to make it even worse. We can turn back now if-"

"No." Marvin was ready. He had spent his whole life in school or in his room, safe from the world. He was ready to do something brilliant with his life. Now was his chance to shine. "Let's go, Doctor. Let's stop this war from continuing."

The Doctor couldn't help the proud smile that crossed his face as he pulled the door open and looked out onto the cold, dark observation deck of either a Dalek or Cyber ship.


	5. Chapter 5: The Master Arrives

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 5: The Master Arrives

The Doctor and Marvin went quickly to work, running through the corridors of the ship until they came to the control room. Luckily they hadn't run into any trouble, since all of the occupants were in the weapon chambers, firing away at the enemy. The Doctor pushed Marvin behind a crate gently as he treaded carefully forward, towards the control panel. He was two meters away when a Dalek turned slowly towards him. The Doctor dove silently out of sight and the Dalek turned back to the window, watching the raging battle take place just outside. The Doctor glanced back at Marvin, who had watched the Doctor's plight anxiously. Marvin was still staring wide eyed at the Doctor. He had never seen a Dalek before that moment, but he knew that if it had seen the Doctor, it wouldn't have been very friendly. The Doctor began walking quietly back towards Marvin, watching the floor to make sure he didn't step on any bolts or loose tiles that would make too much noise. As soon as he reached Marvin, he grabbed the boy's hand and lead him back up the ramp they had come from, but they were too late. The Master was standing at the top of the ramp, gloatingly watching their faces fill with dismay.

"Hello. You thought we wouldn't find you? I had you tracked the second you got here. How have you been these past few years? You're not still hung up on that Jones' family, are you?"

The Doctor was looking at the Master with mixed emotions. His mouth was fixed with glaring anger, but his eyes were full of pity and sadness. Marvin couldn't even guess what the history was between these two Timelords, but he knew it couldn't have all been good. The Master began pacing down the ramp towards them, his eyes on the Doctor the whole time. Marvin tried to read the Master's face now. He was smiling, but it wasn't a kind one. It was full of cruelty. His eyes were full of wild insanity. When the Master was within a meter of the Doctor, the Doctor asked coldly, "Why are you here?"

The Master's eyes became even more manic as he replied, "The drums...they're still here. I can't get rid of them." He began tapping out a four digit beat on his head. "Tap Tap tap tap. Tap tap tap tap. It's driving me mad. I need a distraction. I built the Daleks a little time machine. Do you want to see it, Doctor?"

The Doctor was still just staring at the mad man, expressing no emotion but a deep pity in his eyes. The Master led them through the corridors to a large room full of Daleks. In the center was a glass chamber holding a blue glowing contraption that must've been the time machine. Marvin wasn't sure what it's significance was, but setting about it was making the Doctor very uneasy and, for the first time Marvin had seen him, scared.


	6. Chapter 6: The Time Machine

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 6:

The Master gazed zestfully at his stunning contraption. The blue glow of the Vortex Chamber, the center blue part of his time machine that helps it get through the time vortex, was sending eerie shadows across anything it's light didn't directly touch. The Master's face seemed more manic than ever as he stared unblinkingly at the blinding light. Marvin wasn't scared of this crazed man anymore. When the Master had been talking about the 'drums', his face had almost showed a kind of torture. A torture that must have been with him for many years. Marvin called out unexpectedly, "The light will blind you if you keep staring at it!"

Everyone in the room-the Master, the Doctor, the two guards-had suddenly looked at Marvin. Marvin had surprised even himself with his cheek. Here he was under some crazy man's control, in the middle of a war zone, making sarcastic comments! Was there something truly wrong with him?

The Master smirked and began walking towards where Marvin was standing, his face filling with shadows as it left the blue glow. "You're a cheeky one, aren't you?"

Marvin had no more audacity left in him. He gulped loudly as the Master approached, a shiver running down his spine. The Doctor started at the Master, "Don't touch him. If you lay a finger on him-"

"You won't do anything to me. I know you. You're too nice to hurt anyone. That's your weakness, Doctor."

The Master's words had irritated Marvin. How was compassion a weakness? But the Doctor had only been made angrier. In a rough, low voice, the Doctor growled back, "Don't try me, Master. I've lost a lot of people and I'm not going to lose anyone else, no matter what I have to do."

The Master began pacing slowly towards the Doctor. "That's a bit dark for you, isn't it? You're all talk, though. You can't hurt me, I'm the only one you have left."

The Doctor didn't respond, but his gaze dropped to the floor as the truth of the Master's last statement hit him. It was true, he would never kill his only fellow Timelord. He had already killed so many...

Marvin looked at the Doctor for help; an escape plan, some encouraging words, anything. But the Doctor's mind wasn't in this chamber in this Dalek ship. His mind was on Gallifrey. Images of the running children, the yelling soldiers, the explosions, the lasers flying, Timelords regenerating again and again, day after day, never ending.

The Master was still staring at the Doctor, the drums beating constantly inside his mind. He whispered manically, "You see it too, don't you? The Time War. There's a large temporal field in this room. Now your memories are twice as strong."

Marvin commented, "Aren't yours stronger too, then?"

The Master gave Marvin a psychotic grin. "My memories are always twice as strong."

The Master's comment had inflicted both pity and fright on Marvin. The Doctor seemed to be struggling enough, but that's how terrible the Master's memories were all the time? And what was the mysterious drumbeat about?

The Master turned his back on his prisoners and waltzed around the room, laughing a crazed cackle that sent more shivers down Marvin's spine. The Doctor was crouched down with his eyes shut, trying desperately to get his mind back to the present. He had to get Marvin home. He had to stop the Daleks and the Cybermen. But the Timelords were calling out his name. Pleading with him not to press the button that would end it. Gallifrey was burning.

No, it burned ages ago. He had another war to end. And this time he could do it right. No more bloodshed today. No more innocent lives being taken. No more.

He stood quickly and began strolling quickly to the time machine. The Master froze and stared at his old friend, who seemed so driven it would take an army to stop him. "What are you doing?"

The Doctor called back, without stopping, "I'm ending this." Without hesitating, he began ripping out the wires that held the different mechanisms together. The guards sprinted over to him, but the Doctor ignored them. He had to destroy as much as he could before it was too late. This was probably the last time he'd be in the same room as the time machine. The tallest guard grabbed his arm roughly and the Doctor let him, smirking at the damage he had inflicted on the time machine. The second guard had grabbed his other arm.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" The Doctor assured as they pulled him back to Marvin and the Master. "I think I've caused you enough trouble."

The Master simply stared at the Doctor, a satisfied look in his eyes. "What?" The Doctor was perplexed. Why was the Master so cool about all of this? Hadn't his plans just been ruined?

The Master didn't respond, but the look in his eyes told the Doctor all he needed to know. This time machine had been a lie.


	7. Chapter 7: A Turn of Events

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 7: A Turn of Events

"It was a trap," the Doctor muttered under his breath angrily to himself.

"What did you say?" Marvin came closer to the Doctor to hear him better, but he didn't have to wait long for an explanation. The Master threw out his arms, laughing maniacally again.

"While you were in here worrying about my 'Time Machine', the Cybermen and Daleks were sending out more troops to Earth. Haha! Isn't it beautiful? And the drums...they've never been this loud."

The Doctor had his hands on his face, despair and anxiety running through him. What was he going to do now? The humans would only last another hour with Daleks and Cybers running around.

Marvin saw the state of the Doctor and decided to try and encourage him. "It'll be ok. We'll figure it out. You'll save the day. I know you will."

The Doctor lowered his hands and cast a disingenuous smile towards Marvin. He knew today would bring some casualties; there was no question about that. People were probably already dying...

The Doctor began sprinting towards the door, but the Masted was ready for him. One hit of a button on a control panel and the door shut in milliseconds, locking as soon as it closed with at least fifty kilos of force. The Doctor skidded to a halt and closed his eyes. His head dropped down to face the floor as Marvin came over to him, having begun to run along his hero before the door shut. The Master strolled towards them, his eyes closed as well. "Don't you remember me telling you this room has a temporal field? I can see your thoughts. You don't think you'll be able to save them all. Oh no; the precious human lives."

The Master began mocking the Doctor, making Marvin angrier than he had ever been before. The Doctor suddenly groaned in pain and fell to his hands and knees, his eyes still shut tightly.

"What's wrong, Doctor?"

Marvin was kneeling next to the Doctor, completely terrified of what the Master must be thinking to make the Doctor feel so much pain. "Why can't I see your thoughts?"

Marvin's question had been directed to the Doctor, but the Master cut in, "I set the temporal field so that only Timelords could share thoughts. I don't want any Daleks invading my privacy."

The Doctor groaned again and looked up at the Master. "What is in your head? The drums...they don't stop. And the Time War..."

The Master was smiling, satisfied with his evil work. "Now I don't have to feel it all. You take half, my old friend."

The Doctor tried to stand, but fell to his knees. "You feel twice this?"

He looked at the Master full of many emotions, but the most prominent, again, was pity. How could anyone endure twice this level of pain? Memories of the Time War; '_well_,' the Doctor thought, '_they only hurt me more because I ended it. He doesn't have that on his shoulders_.'

But these drums, these crazy, painful throbs constantly beating through his head. Maybe this was why the Master had gotten so angry and so maniacal. This kind of torture would drive anyone mad.

He stood slowly. "Why are you creating a war?"

The Master began a lengthy speech, "We'll, my dear old friend-"

"Yeah, yeah; just skip ahead. Why do you want this war to happen? And why here, on Earth?"

The Master looked furious. People don't cut him off. Especially not his age-old enemy. He shrugged it off and went on, "Isn't it glorious?"

"What, people getting killed? Bombs going off? Guns being fired? A picnic on Asgard is glorious, this is not."

Marvin looked confusedly at the Doctor. "Asgard? Like Thor?"

The Doctor sighed and replied quickly, "I'll explain later. Anyway, Master, you may think you've won, but you're wrong. Because just a tick ago I was on the ground, and look at me now, havering on as usual. If I didn't know any better, I'd say your temporal field has been broken."

The two Timelord's expressions completely flipped around. The Master was now scowling at his new dilemma and the Doctor was smiling cheekily at Marvin, feeling a bit better about his luck.


	8. Chapter 8: Timelords and Daleks

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 8: Timelords and Daleks

The Master spun around and barked orders to his guards as the Doctor put his hands in his pockets and began forming his plans. Marvin looked up at the smiling Timelord and questioned, "How are we going to stop the war?"

The Doctor was ready now. He replied excitedly, "Just follow my lead, Marv."

Marvin felt good now. While there was still a war going on, the Doctor was going to stop it. Marvin would be a hero. His life as a dorky teenager was over now; his life as a heroic adventurer was just beginning. The Master turned back to the Doctor and Marvin, his guards strolling out the door holding their big guns across their bodies. "You can't stop this war, Doctor. It's already begun. Soon the humans will cease to exist and I will take over Earth, as the Dalek's leader."

The Doctor concluded, "So you're going to help the Daleks beat the Cybermen?"

"Of course. Cybers are too...human. The Daleks will be able to fight off enemies for centuries."

The Doctor had one burning question, "What do you have against humans?"

The Master turned away and dramatically began, "I was on Earth once and...some filthy little human...shot me. I had to waste regeneration energy to heal myself. I only have one left now."

The Doctor commented, "I only have one left."

Marvin, who only had heard the word 'regenerate' in science class, was very confused. "Ok, can somebody tell me what you're talking about?"

The Doctor's voice was calm and a little sad now, nothing like the cheeky guy he had been five minutes ago. "When Timelords get hurt really badly, they can regrow every cell in their body so they don't die. There's a limit, though, and the Master and I can only do it one more time before we..."

Marvin was taking all of this information in very well compared to some humans. But odd things were going on all over him today, and he had known the Doctor was an alien since he had first seen him running through the school's car park, but how alien he really was had been hidden until now. After a few seconds of silence, the Doctor asked kindly, "Are you alright? I know it can be a lot to take in..."

"I'm fine," Marvin replied calmly. "I...I kinda figured you were...different."

They shared a quick smile before the Doctor turned to the Master and asked another question he had been wondering about. "Why did you set up a temporal field, anyway?"

"I wanted to enlist you into my army. You can transfer ideas, you know. Control people's thoughts. Influence anyone to do anything. Daleks are great and all, but a Timelord...a Timelord is guaranteed protection."

The Doctor, quietly but sharply, stated, "You should be glad it doesn't work; that kind of mind control is illegal. You could spend your life in prison for that."

The Master smiled an evil smile and looked up at the ceiling. "Ah, but you're not so lucky today, my dear old friend. I sent my guards to repair the temporal field, and don't you feel it buzzing?"

A low hum was ringing through the room. The Doctor looked desperately to Marvin. The Master closed his eyes and put his fingers to his head and sent messages into the Doctor's mind, his eerie smile becoming even more terrifying in the heat of the moment. The Doctor fell to his knees and grabbed his head. He quickly groaned out, "I'm sorry Marvin...it's up to you now," before collapsing on the cold, dark floor.

"When he wakes up, he'll be my soldier. Say goodbye to life as you know it."

The Master was sent into a crazed, maniacal laughing frenzy as Marvin looked from him to the Doctor, who seemed so innocent that Marvin couldn't believe he would wake up and be just as evil and powerful as the Master.


	9. Chapter 9: Friend or Foe?

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 9: Friend or Foe?

The Master strolled out of the room, leaving Marvin stuck with the soon-to-be evil Doctor. Marvin was sitting against the opposite wall to where the Doctor was still unconscious on the floor, his legs bent up to his chest, cradled by his arms. He had taken off his school sweater and unbuttoned and untucked his long white shirt. What was the point of looking nice when you were about to be killed by your newfound hero? He dropped his head to his arms and held back tears. He never should've left his English class. He could be at home by now, finishing his school work so that he could look through the telescope. '_No_,' Marvin thought glumly, '_Home is being taken over by Cybermen at the moment_.'

The realization of this statement hit Marvin hard. His home...his friends...his mum...he was their last hope. He was the only human up here on this spaceship; the only good guy left since the Master had messed with the Doctor. Marvin had a responsibility. He had to be amazing today. More than amazing; he had to be a hero.

Marvin stood, adrenaline pumping through him faster than ever before. He started towards the door, no plan in his head on what he would do, but he knew he'd think of something. The Doctor stirred suddenly and Marvin froze where he stood; still a meter or two from the door. The Doctor slowly sat up and turned to Marvin. None of the Doctor's warmth was left in him. His eyes were cold and just as crazed as the Master's. Marvin backed away, his fear rising higher than his courage. The Doctor stood and muttered, in a voice that wasn't his own, "Stupid human scum."

Marvin was nearly against the wall now, he had backed up so quickly from the Doctor. The Timelord came threateningly close to Marvin before the door opened loudly and the Master walked in, pleased with his work. The Doctor turned and instantly dropped to his knee and bowed. "Master...what would you like me to do?"

The Master smiled and ordered, "Go to the Control Room, I'll meet you there soon."

The Doctor nodded in understanding quickly and marched out of the room. Marvin watched him go with sadness in his eyes. That poor, amazing man wasn't even in control of himself. How must that feel?

The Master grabbed Marvin's shoulder and led him out of the room, which was a relief to Marvin because he had gotten tired of the dark, cold chamber. They walked down the halls until they reached the door to the Control Room. The Master leaned down to Marvin's level and muttered, "He won't turn back. He can't. He'll be my little soldier until the day he dies."

Marvin glared at the back of the Master's head as the evil Timelord opened the door and pushed Marvin through first, following after and locking the door again. The Doctor looked over when they entered and smiled a dark smile when he saw Marvin's terrified face.

There were many computers and buttons in this room that Marvin couldn't even begin to understand. All he knew was that, after seeing the Doctor's twisted, maniacal face, the Master's statement was probably correct. The Master stood against the wall and barked command to the Dalek controlling the ship and then crossed his arms smugly and stared at the Doctor. "You can kill him now," the Master ordered.

Marvin glanced to his left and right, desperately searching for an escape or a weapon or something, but all he could see were computers and monitors. The Doctor stated, in an odd, military-like fashion, "Yes, sir," and began walking towards Marvin. The Master held his hand out and stopped him suddenly, then pulled out a gun from his pocket. "Here, use this."

The Master handed over the gun and, for just a split second, the Doctor seemed very confused or, Marvin realized, angry. This, however, did not mean anything and the Doctor began to raise his gun, aiming it right in between Marvin's eyes like the perfect soldier the Master had made him. Marvin began frantically backing away and holding his hands up in front of him. "Please...don't do this. Doctor, it's me! Marvin! Remember? Marvin Cartwright! Doctor!"

The Doctor had begun pacing towards Marvin, holding the gun with both hands. Marvin jumped to the right quickly, trying to throw the Doctor's aim off for just a tick. The Doctor fired, but the bullet merely flew into the wall and caused a small dent. The Master yelled from behind, "Just kill him already!"

Marvin avoided another bullet from the Doctor's gun and found himself against another wall. The Doctor was approaching fast, getting close now so he couldn't miss. Tears began running down Marvin's face as he dropped to the floor in fright. He was sobbing by the time the Doctor's gun was against his head. His face was in his arms as he sat, crouched against the wall, preparing for his eminent doom. The Master screamed out, "Do it!"

Something in the Doctor's head clicked. His eyes softened and he stared into space for a moment, loosely holding the gun in his hand as he slowly came to. When it finally hit him what he was doing, he dropped the gun to his side, then threw it at the wall. "Oh my...what am I doing? Marvin! Are you alright? Marvin..."

The Doctor crouched next to the crying teen and cautiously moved his hands towards the boy's back. Before he made contact, however, he jerked his hands away and stared at them in disbelief. Marvin's crying came to a slow stop and he wiped his face with his sleeve. The Doctor was still staring at his hands, unable to accept the terror he had caused this poor young boy. "I'm...so sorry."

Marvin saw how sorry and frightened the Doctor was and decided it was his turn to do the comforting. "It's alright. I'm fine. You didn't hurt anyone."

None of Marvin's words had an effect on the old Timelord. The Doctor slumped against the wall and put his face in his hands. "I could've killed you. I was so close to...who have I become?"

Tears were forming in his eyes, a sight Marvin couldn't bare to witness. The Doctor seemed too great; too joyful to cry. Marvin assured, "I'm fine. Really, no harm done. It wasn't your fault."

The Doctor wiped his eyes and together they stood, remembering quite abruptly that the Master was still in the room. "You never could watch children cry."

The Doctor's fury overcame him. He began a quick pace towards the Master, his eyes glaring with pure rage. "You almost made me kill a child. Another one..."

That last comment sent questions through Marvin's mind, but he ignored them. He was highly anticipating what was about to happen between these two Timelords, but also frightened at the sheer number of bad possible outcomes. The Doctor stopped a millimeter away from the Master. The two men were staring each other down like wolves, just waiting for somebody to crack. The Master finally stated, "You'll still lose this war."

The Doctor replied ominously, "You've already lost."


	10. Chapter 10: Not Alls Well That Ends Well

** Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story. One more chapter is coming soon, I promise. Please review! I haven't had any reviews and I really wanna know what everyone thinks of my story.**

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 10: Not All's Well that Ends Well

The Master's eyes widened. "What do you mean 'I've already lost'?"

The Doctor smirked and didn't reply. He finally had the advantage. Marvin looked up at him, still as baffled as the Master on how they possibly had already won, but the Doctor just gave him a reassuring glance and then they both watched as the Master approached threateningly. "Tell me. What did I miss? What is it?!"

The Doctor began pacing around the Control Room until he arrived next to the forgotten-about Dalek. "You see this guy?" The Doctor began his explanation, infuriating the Master with his obvious conclusion, "He's not firing at me right now."

"That's because I ordered all of them to leave you to me."

The Doctor pointed a finger in the air, "Good point, but I don't think you told them to leave Marvin here alone, did you?"

The Master looked back, horrified, to notice Marvin standing there totally unharmed. "What's...what's wrong with the Dalek?"

The Doctor knocked on the Dalek's metal shell. "There isn't even a Dalek creature inside. These are just shells with robots controlling them so they'll drive the ship. The only thing they can do is drive and fire from the ship."

"But...I told them to send an army."

"And they did...a robot army, at least."

The Master replied smugly, "But the war is still going on. They can still fire from the ships. So you're idea isn't even putting a dent in my plan. "

The Doctor smirked coolly. "Oh, but that's where you're wrong. You see, robots are brilliant...for a time. But you see, robots run on batteries. If those batteries are removed..."

The Doctor removed a grey box from the side of the Dalekanium and the ship shifted to the side. He returned it quickly and the ship steadied in a matter of seconds.

The Master watched in horror as the Doctor whipped out his Sonic. "Wha-what are you doing?"

He knew the answer. So did Marvin. "If I set this correctly, all of the robots except this one will shut off. If I did the math correctly, the ships will all fly into a small moon of Venus and nobody will be hurt."

The Master tried to find a loophole. "The Cybermen are out there still. They won't just go home."

"I've stopped Cybermen before."

The Master found his chance to weaken his old friend and he took it. "Not without any casualties. What'd you say her name was? Rose! That's it! The little blonde English girl you whined to me about."

The Doctor's smirk had faded into a slight frown. His eyes seemed to glisten, or maybe it was just the light reflecting. "There won't be any casualties today."

He looked over at Marvin. His face read differently than his words. He looked both scared and worried. Marvin didn't seem very encouraged, but he gave the Doctor a quick smile anyway. He knew the Doctor would try his best to keep him safe.

The Ship suddenly lurched and all three lost their balance and nearly fell. The Doctor called out, "We just lost our Dalek!"

In the panic of the moment, the Master grabbed Marvin and held him tightly in his arms. "Doctor!", Marvin called out.

The Doctor looked back at the Master's furious face. "You may have stopped the war, but there will be casualties today!"

The Doctor began running towards them, but the Master was too quick. He grabbed a pair of handcuffs from the security table and put on on Marvin's wrist and one on a pipe standing next to the wall. "We'll meet again, Doctor."

The Master ran off down the hall to some emergency exit and was gone. Marvin struggled with the handcuffs. The Doctor Sonic-ed them, but it was no use. "It's dead locked. I can't..."

The reality of his situation hit him. "I can't get you out of here."

Marvin looked over at the Dalek. "What if you bring him back to life?"

The Doctor went to the Dalek shell. He glanced over the coordinates, praying for a miracle. As he read over the statistics, he put his face in his hands and returned to Marvin. "If I..." He struggled speaking the words. "If I save you...if I turn on the robot...he'll try to steady us. As of right now...we're on course to just miss Earth atmosphere. He would try to steady us diet, which would take a minute or two...we'd crash into Earth's surface. We're going so fast...we'd...it'd kill everyone, or at least most and...I'm so sorry."

Marvin slowly explained, in simple terms, "If you save me, everyone on Earth is killed."

The Doctor nodded glumly. His face changed from sadness to anger in a millisecond. He slammed his hand on the table and turned away from Marvin. "Why does this always happen? I can never save everybody. No, once I did. Once. Can't it happen one more time? Everyone around me dies and it's always my fault! You're just a kid...a smart, young kid...I'm so sorry. You never should've met me. I'm a danger to everybody."

Marvin decided this was his last chance to help the Doctor, and he didn't care that he'd never get paid in return. "Doctor, I left my English class to be with you. If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead right now. The Cyber would've killed us if you hadn't stopped it. So many people owe you their lives, Doctor. None of this is your fault. None of it."

The Doctor paced over and wrapped his arms around Marvin. "Thank you."

They hugged for a full twenty seconds before Marvin, half smiling, whispered, "Don't you have Cybermen to stop?"

The Doctor faked a smile. How could he leave this boy? How would he ever forgive himself? He wouldn't. He never did forgive himself.

The Doctor couldn't bring himself to say goodbye knowing it would be Marvin's last. His hearts shattering, he walked out of the room, forcing himself not to look in the boy's eyes. He always remembered the eyes of the people he'd involuntarily killed. Those eyes tormented him at night. He didn't want another in the collection. He got into the hallway and ran to the room where the TARDIS was parked. The guards would be killed too. This thought arrived to him as he opened the TARDIS doors, but he was already numb from guilt.

As he stepped into the TARDIS, it reminded him of all the times he had come I here lately after a rough day. After Rose had been sent into the parallel universe; after Martha had gone home; after Pompeii, but at least he had Donna then; after saying goodbye to his friends again; after he had wiped Donna's memories. All came flooding back to him as he closed the doors with their usual squeaky slam. He slowly walked to the Console and began punching in coordinates for London, Great Britain, Earth, Milky Way, October 24, 2013.

The rest of the day was a haze. He went to Torchwood Tower at one point and heard them order some missile fire. Soon, all of the Cybermen were gone and the Earth was saved. The Doctor was gone before the first newscaster could put him on the Telly.

His feet were dangling out of the TARDIS as he stared down at the blue orb, peacefully floating in the middle of the Milky Way. How silent it was up there. He wished he could live there forever. It would be a simple life, sitting there watching the planet spin all day, but it was one he'd never allow himself to have. He had a duty. He had to tell Marvin's mother what happened.


	11. Chapter 11: An Unlikely Ending

**Here's the last chapter of this story! Please remember to review, even constructive criticism would be nice. Thank you!**

Just a Bit Unlikely Ch. 11: An Unlikely Ending

The TARDIS landed on a small, desolate street corner in between a tall street lamp and a dirty green trash bin. The Doctor, sporting his cleanest and best-fitting suit, stepped out of the blue doorway and looked around the empty street. Everyone was probably afraid to go outside, thinking the Cybermen would return at any second. Quickly he turned to the house he knew belonged to Marvin and took a deep breath. He hated delivering bad news. Especially to mothers. His mind went back to that Dalek ship where he had left Marvin. He had heard the explosion of the ship onto Venus' moon many hours ago, but it still rang in his ears. He felt numb. He almost wished he'd just be sad or in pain; nothing was worse than feeling nothing at all. He guessed after 900 years, you don't even feel it anymore. His legs felt like lead as he approached the door and lifted his hand to knock. Something held his hand in mid air for some time before he actually rapped the door. His head dropped as he heard shuffling inside. Whoever answered the door would be very sad very soon. The door opened and the Doctor looked up. His jaw dropped at whom he saw, grinning, holding the tall oak door open wide.

There, not dead on some distant moon, was Marvin Cartwright, spectacles and all. They stared at each other for a whole minute, Marvin smiling at the Doctor's surprised face. Slowly the Doctor stammered, "H-how? You...I...I thought you were dead."

Absentmindedly, the Doctor stepped into Marvin's house without looking away from this mysterious teenager. Marvin shut the door and began explaining quickly, "A man appeared at the last second. He had a dead-lock key and we got out just in time."

This had brought up more questions than answers. "Who was he?" The Doctor began his interrogation. "How did you get out? Who even has a dead-lock key?"

Suddenly Jack Harkness walked into the room from the kitchen, peeling a banana casually as the Doctor gaped at him. "Jack!"

Jack looked up and grinned knowingly at the confused Time Lord. He bit into the banana and Marvin began laughing. "Jack...you...what?"

The Doctor was so puzzled, and yet he understood perfectly well how Jack could've saved Marvin. He quickly turned into more of an exhausted parent than an old friend. "Jack, you can't keep using that Vortex Manipulator! And where did you get a dead-lock key? Did you honestly rob the Time Agency again? Jack, put down the banana and talk to me."

Although he had said this in all seriousness, Jack began laughing full out. The Doctor glanced over at young Marvin, who had also begun laughing hysterically. "Ok, stop it. Look Jack, Marvin's as bad as you now."

Jack grinned slyly at the Doctor. "You once told me to always take a banana to a party. You said they were good."

The Doctor nearly smiled at that memory, but he caught himself. "This isn't a party, Jack. I thought Marvin was dead! I thought I'd have to tell his mum I let him die!"

The room grew solemn and none of them met the others' eye. Jack muttered softly, "Sorry I didn't tell you."

The Doctor looked around the room and asked suddenly, "Where's your mum, Marv?"

Marvin looked at the floor. "She was...I heard she was converted into one of those Cybermen."

The Doctor looked at him sadly once again. "I'm sorry we couldn't save her."

Marvin told the Doctor it was fine, that he had been luckier than most of his town. Jack finally said, "I better be off," and vanished with a click of his Vortex Manipulator. "I really wish he'd stop using that thing."

Marvin grinned at how the Doctor seemed to be everyone's overprotective father. They looked at each other and the Doctor sighed with finality. "I'd better be off as well."

He began strolling across the room, again not able to say goodbye. Marvin ran ahead of him and blocked the door. "Wait! Can I...come with you?"

"Come with me? It's too dangerous. I'm sorry Marvin, but a good kid like you can't be around me. You need to stay here, get a good education, fulfill your dreams, have a nice human life. I envy you lot a bit sometimes. Trust me, you don't want a life like I have."

The Doctor pushed his way to the door, but Marvin stopped him once again. "But I do! There's nothing for me here. I'll be sent to some school for boys and I'll never be happy knowing you're out there going on adventures, saving the universe. Please let me come."

"Marvin," the Doctor began, losing his patience, "I don't want to lose you again. I'd never forgive myself. Never. Stay here where I know you'll be safe."

Marvin retorted, "Even here on Earth it's not safe. I could be hit by a car tomorrow and that'll be it. But at least if I'm with you, I'll actually be living for once. You can show me the Renaissance, I've always loved Shakespeare. Or to Mars. Anywhere!"

The Doctor realized he couldn't say no to this kid. "Are you sure you want to come with me?"

"Yes."

The Doctor held out his hand. "Then welcome aboard."

They shook hands firmly and Marvin grinned. "You are impossible sometimes, you know that?"

The Doctor replied with a wink, "Not impossible. Just a bit unlikely."


End file.
